European Journal of Orthodontics 28 (2006) 282291

doi:10.1093/ejo/cji079
Advance Access publication 30 September 2005
The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontics Society.
All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.
How does temperature inuence the properties of rectangular
nickel titanium wires?
Maurcio Tatsuei Sakima , Michel Dalstra and Birte Melsen
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Aarhus, Denmark
SUMMARY Thermodynamic nickel titanium (NiTi) wires have become increasingly popular. The relationship
between the temperature variation within the mouth and the force level delivered is, however, far
from elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inuence of possible intraoral temperature
differences on the forces exerted by seven commercially available 0.019 0.025 inch NiTi archwires.
As mouth temperature ranges from 33 to 37C most of the time, all wires were tested at ve different
temperatures between 30 and 40C in an orthodontic wire-testing device, a so-called Force System
Identication (FSI) apparatus, placed in a climate chamber. In the FSI a two-bracket system using self-
ligating Damon brackets simulated rst order displacements up to 4 mm. At each temperature ve samples
of each archwire brand were tested. The following variables from the activation/deactivation curves were
calculated: force and displacement at the yield point, maximum force level, total energy up to maximum
displacement, energy loss after deactivation, force and displacement at the beginning and at the nish of
the plateau, and the slope of the plateau. Any statistically signicant differences in these variables for the
different brands and temperature levels were analysed using one-way analysis of variance.
The results showed that: (1) The behaviour of all wires was different. (2) Copper NiTi40 showed the
lowest and the most constant force level, followed by NeoSentalloy 200 g. On the other hand, these
wires may not work properly in mouth breathers as no forces were exerted below 35C. (3) If the use
of superelastic characteristics and low force levels are the reasons for utilizing rectangular NiTi wires,
austenitic NiTi wires should be avoided.
Introduction
Nickel titanium (NiTi) wires are widely used within
orthodontics as they combine shape memory effect and
superelasticity with excellent corrosion and mechanical
properties, and good biocompatibility.
Shape memory is desirable, as the return to its original
austenitic phase from a pronounced plastic deformation of
the same wire in its martensitic phase allows for a long
range of activation. The superelasticity is likewise related to
the internal transformation, the consequence of which is the
release of a constant force over a considerable part of the
deactivation. This has been illustrated by a load-deection
plot with a horizontal plateau during unloading, which
implies that a constant force may be exerted over a long
range of tooth movement ( Burstone et al. , 1985 ; Miura
et al. , 1986 ). The transformation of austenite into martensite
can be either induced by cooling or produced by stress.
Martensite formation can be initiated by cooling the material
below M
s
(dened as the temperature at which martensitic
transformations begins). M
f
is the temperature at which
martensitic transformation ends. The transformation is
reversible, and A
s
is the temperature at which the reverse
austenitic transformation (martensite austenite) begins
upon heating, and A
f
is the temperature at the end of the
reverse austenitic transformation. When stress is applied to
the material above its A
f
temperature, an elastic martensitic
phase is stress-induced in alloys that exhibit thermoelastic
behaviour ( Barwart, 1996 ). The stress necessary to induce
the formation of stress-induced martensite (SIM) is a linear
function of temperature. When the applied stress is released
below A
s
, the shape change produced remains, because
reverse rearrangements of twins and martensite variants
have not occurred. However, on heating through the A
s
-to-
A
f
temperature range, the material regains its original shape
by a reverse transformation from martensite to austenite.
Thus, the original shape is re-established and the deformation
of the martensitic phase recovered (shape memory effect).
Early martensitic superelastic NiTi wires exhibited shape
memory characteristics, but their transitional temperature
range (TTR) made it impractical to exploit this property for
orthodontic treatment. Burstone et al. (1985) and Miura
et al. (1986) introduced austenitic NiTi, which presented
superelastic characteristics. More recently, third and fourth
generation temperature-dependent heat activated (also
called thermoresponsive or thermodynamic) NiTi wires
have been marketed with clinical useful shape memory.
The evaluation of the physical properties has been
ascertained either by cantilever tests ( Burstone et al. , 1985 ;
Khier et al. , 1991 ), or three-point bending ( Miura et al. ,
1986 ; Yoneyama et al. , 1993 ; Tonner and Waters, 1994 ;
Ibe and Segner, 1998 ; Nakano et al. , 1999 ; Iijima et al. ,
2002 ; Wilkinson et al. , 2002 ; Fischer-Brandies et al. , 2003 ;
Parvizi and Rock, 2003 ). Three-point bending tests offer
reproducibility, which has facilitated comparison between
283
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCY OF NITI WIRES
studies. However, none of these methods simulate the
clinical situation. This is the reason why the three-bracket
method was introduced ( Oltjen et al. , 1997 ). In spite of
many attempts, the ideal test cannot be performed, since the
clinical efciency depends not only on force systems and
surface related variables, but also the delivery of the force
and the functional environment into which the wire is
inserted. It has been suggested that the most appropriate
wire test may be that which reproduces conditions
encountered clinically, where the wire is constrained as part
of a xed appliance. Oltjen et al. (1997) demonstrated
signicant differences between the three-point bending test
and the three-bracket bending mode, and similar ndings
were found by Parvizi and Rock (2003) .
The physical properties of the new thermodynamic NiTi
wires have made it possible to insert larger guage rectangular
wires during the initial phases of orthodontic treatment in
order to gain three-dimensional control of tooth movement.
Although many studies have focused on the evaluation of
NiTi wires ( Table 1 ), large guage rectangular wires have not
yet been submitted to any laboratory tests, leaving clinicians
to rely only on the manufacturers information.
Variation in mouth temperature throughout a 24-hour
period has been studied in several ways, but the median
cluster is around 35C with variation occurring over time
( Moore et al. , 1999 ) and within the different locations of
the mouth ( Volchansky and Cleaton-Jones, 1994 ; Airoldi
et al. , 1997 ). The reported range was generally large, up
to 50C, although the peak values were only reached for
very short periods and mostly in the palatal zone. The
majority of the time (79 per cent), mouth temperature
ranged between 33 and 37C. Most studies were performed
at 37C while others were carried out at 35C ( Table 1 ).
The inuence of changes in force delivery within the
Table 1 NiTi wire-testing studies that expressed the temperature in which the tests were performed.
Reference Testing mode Temperature (C) Cross-sections of NiTi type / manufacturer
wire (inches)
Burstone et al. (1985) Cantilever 22, 37, 60 0.016 Martensitic (M-NiTi), Austenitic (A-NiTi) /
conguration Ormco, 3M Unitek
Khier et al. (1991) Cantilever 22 0.016, 0.018, M-NiTi, A-NiTi / 3M Unitek, GAC, Lancer,
conguration 0.018 0.025, Rocky Mountain
0.021 0.025
Miura et al. (1986) Three-point 37 0.014, 0.016, M-NiTi, A-NiTi / 3M Unitek, Tomy Inc.
bending test 0.018, 0.020, 0.022
Yoneyama et al. (1993) Three-point 37 0.039 Not reported
bending test
Tonner and Waters (1994) Three-point 5, 15, 20, 25, 0.014, 0.016, M-NiTi, A-NiTi / GAC, Orthocare, Forestadent,
bending test 30, 35, 40, 50 0.018 Dentaurum, Russell and Baker, Masel, Orthomax,
3M Unitek, American Orthodontics, Ormco, Lancer
Ibe and Segner (1998) Three-point 35 0.016 0.022 Thermodynamic, A-NiTi / GAC, Forestadent, Masel,
bending test Imperial Precise
Nakano et al. (1999) Three-point 37 0.016, 0.016 0.022 Thermodynamic, M-NiTi, A-NiTi / A-Company,
bending test Hoya, Lancer, Sankin, Ormco, Rocky Mountain,
GAC, TP, 3M Unitek
Fischer-Brandies et al. Three-point 22, 37, 60 0.016 0.022 Thermodynamic, M-NiTi, A-NiTi / GAC, Ormco,
(2002) bending test Dentaurum, Forestadent, Lancer
Iijima et al. (2002) Three-point 23, 37, 60 0.016 0.022 Thermodynamic, A-NiTi / Ormco, Tomy Inc.
bending test
Wilkinson et al. (2002) Three-point bending 22, 35.5, 44 0.016 A-NiTi, Thermodynamic / GAC, Ormco, TP,
test, orthodontic Dentaurum, 3M Unitek
brackets
Parvizi and Rock (2003) Three-point bending 20, 30, 40 0.016, 0.016 0.022 A-NiTi, Thermodynamic / 3M Unitek, Direct
test, phantom Ortho, Ortho Care
head test
Santoro and Beshers Three-bracket 4 to 60 in 0.018, 0.016 0.022, Thermodynamic / GAC, Ormco, 3M Unitek
(2000) bending tests steps of 3 0.017 0.025
Gurgel et al. (2001) Three-bracket 35 0.017 0.025 Thermodynamic, A-NiTi / Ormco, Masel,
bending tests Morelli, 3M Unitek, GAC, Dentaurum, TP
Filleul et al. (1997) Torsion 37 0.017 0.025, Thermodynamic, A-NiTi / Ormco, GAC
0.018 0.025
Meling and degaard Torsion 18, 27, 37, 40 0.016 0.022, Thermodynamic, M-NiTi, A-NiTi, Multi-stranded /
(1998) 0.017 0.025, Dentaurum, Forestadent, GAC, Highland Metals,
0.018 0.025 Masel, Ormco, 3M Unitek
Gurgel et al. (2001) Torsion 35 0.017 0.025 Thermodynamic, A-NiTi / Ormco, Masel, Morelli,
3M Unitek, GAC, Dentaurum, TP
M. T. SAKIMA ET AL.
284
above-mentioned range has not yet been described in
detail.
It was, therefore, the aim of the present study to evaluate
the inuence of possible intraoral temperature differences
on the forces exerted by seven commercially available
0.019 0.025 inch NiTi archwires.
Materials and methods
The seven NiTi wires analysed in this study and their
respective codes are shown in Table 2 . All wires were tested
in an orthodontic wire-testing device, the Force System
Identication (FSI) apparatus, which was developed at the
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University
of Aarhus, Denmark. The wire was clamped into two wire
holders, in which mechanical sensors are placed. The
moments and forces generated between the wire and the
holders are transformed into electrical impulses by means
of specially developed strain gauges. Six step motors control
the translation and rotation of the two holders in three planes
of space. The displacements of the holders are computer
controlled, and input for these is supplied by the user. The
moments and forces developed are stored in the computer,
together with the positions of the holders, for further
statistical analysis. The error of the method for this system
has been evaluated ( Menghi et al. , 1999 ).
A self-ligating Damon bracket for the upper rst premolar
(Ormco Corp., Glendora, California, USA) was xed in the
centre of both holders of the FSI system ( Figure 1 ). Initially,
the two brackets, xed on the two holders, were placed in
alignment to each other at a distance of 5 mm. The tested
wires comprised 15 mm long pieces of straight wire inserted
passively into the two aligned brackets. During testing, the
brackets were displaced in translation, in steps of 0.2 mm
up to 4 mm and back to the aligned position again. This
simulated Class I geometry in an aligning phase (rst order
movements). Forces and moments were recorded
corresponding to each step. The force systems developed in
the rst order are reported here. Five wires of each batch
were tested at ve different temperatures.
The tests were performed inside a climate chamber
(Department. of Environmental Medicine, University of
Aarhus) with a precision of 0.3C at the following
temperatures: 30, 33, 35, 37 and 40C. The wires were kept
inside the climate chamber with the stabilized temperature
for at least two hours prior to testing.
Before statistical evaluation of the data was carried out,
corrections were made to the raw data for differences
between the locations where the forces and moments were
measured and the centre of the brackets. The activation/
deactivation curve of the NiTi wires is characterized by
three distinct phases reecting the transformation between
austenite and martensite. In order to compare the curves
characterizing the different wires and the inuence of
the different temperatures, a number of variables were
determined.
Figure 2 illustrates a typical force and moment curve in
which the above-mentioned variables and their denitions
are shown.
The means and standard deviations were calculated for
all variables for each set of measurements. The intra-batch
variation was evaluated, as was the inuence of temperature
for each batch. The different products were compared both
with respect to intra-batch variation as average behaviour.
The behaviour of each wire in the different tested
temperatures (intra-wire) and of different wires in the same
temperature (inter-wire) were compared using one-way
analysis of variance, followed by the Student Newman
Keuls post-hoc test.
Results
The temperature dependency of the individual wires is
illustrated in Figure 3 . Regardless of the force level, the
Formo-Elastic Wonder Wire (WWFE) demonstrated the
smallest range (635 699 cN) in the force delivered during
the transition between the temperatures of 30 and 40C. The
normal NiTi (ON) revealed the most pronounced temperature
dependency, augmenting the force delivery from 216 to 465
cN when the temperature increased.
Graphs of the unloading curves of the seven wires at the
ve temperatures are shown in Figure 4 . Although all tested
wires had the same dimensions, three different groups could
be distinguished when the tests were performed at 30 and
33C. At 35, 37 and 40C four different behaviours could be
observed by visual inspection.
Table 2 Overview of the seven commercially available NiTi wires used in the present study.
Code Wire brand Manufacturer Type
C35 35C Thermo-Active Copper NiTi

Ormco Corp. (Glendora, CA, USA) Thermodynamic

C40 40C Thermo-Active Copper NiTi

Ormco Corp. Thermodynamic

G&H Thermal NiTi G&H Wire Comp. (Greenwood, IN, USA) Thermodynamic
NS200 NeoSentalloy 200g GAC Intl. (Central Islip, NY, USA) Thermodynamic
ON NiTi Ormco Corp. Austenitic
WWFE Formo-Elastic NiTi Wonder Wire Corp. (Wyomissing, PA, USA) Austenitic
WWT Thermal NiTi Wonder Wire Corp. Thermodynamic
285
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCY OF NITI WIRES
The yield points ( Table 3 ) had a tendency to be higher
with increasing temperature for almost all wires. The
WWFE was the only wire which did not show this behaviour.
The Copper NiTi40 (C40) and NeoSentalloy200 (NS200)
wires had the lowest yield points. The force level at the
yield point also had a tendency to increase with temperature
in all wires. Again C40 and NS200 wires were those with
the lowest force values. The highest values were observed
for WWFE.
Table 4 presents data concerning the unloading plateau.
As observed for the yield point values, the force values
increased with temperature for all wires. The inter-wire
comparison showed the lowest force levels for the C40 and
NS200 wires. The plateau length had a tendency to decrease
when the temperature increased. The inter-wire ranking
(plateau length) differed within each temperature. The
lowest values were observed for the WWFE followed by
the ON. The lowest plateau slope value was exhibited by
the 35C thermo-active Copper NiTi wire (C35).
Discussion
This study made use of a new methodology for testing seven
different brands of NiTi wires. Despite the difculties that
this poses when comparing the present ndings with
previous studies, the methodology could be expected to
better simulate a clinical situation ( Oltjen et al. , 1997 ;
Parvizi and Rock, 2003 ). If the three-point bending test had
been applied, the friction between bracket and wire would
not have been taken into consideration. The tested wires had
a dimension of 0.019 0.025 inches sliding in 0.022
0.028 inch slots, which is a common clinical situation.
The use of large guage rectangular NiTi wires in the
initial phase of orthodontic treatment is supported by the
idea that it is possible to generate low force levels due to
material properties and also to have three-dimensional
control of the tooth movement from the beginning of
treatment. Nevertheless, few studies have tested such
rectangular NiTi wires.
Meling and degaard (1998) claimed that it was not
possible to observe superelastic behaviour when different
wires were tested in torsion up to 25 degrees. Despite the
Figure 1 Force System Identication apparatus with two self-ligating Damon brackets testing the wire in rst order
activation.
Figure 2 Variables used in this study indicated in a typical force/
displacement curve. Force (F
yp
) and displacement (u
yp
) of the yield point
(dened as the end point of the initial linear slope), maximum force level
(F
max
), total energy (E
tot
) up to maximum displacement, energy loss (in
percentage of total energy) after deactivation, force (F
pb
) and displacement
(u
pb
) at the beginning of the plateau, force (F
pf
) and displacement (u
pf
) at
the nish of the plateau, slope (s
p
) of the plateau.
M. T. SAKIMA ET AL.
286
Figure 3 Temperature-dependency of the seven different brands of archwires. (See Table 2 for denitions of abbreviations.)
287
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCY OF NITI WIRES
fact that they tested thermodynamic NiTi wires, they failed
to show the unloading plateaus. This nding cannot be
evaluated in this study, as only forces and bending moments,
developed in the rst order when two adjacent teeth were
mutually displaced, were assessed. The bending moments
are not reported, as they can be deduced directly from the
forces and the inter-bracket distance.
The temperatures in which the tests were performed were
chosen in order to simulate the oral environment. It has
been previously demonstrated that cold/hot intakes are
very transient ( Airoldi et al. , 1997 ). Temperatures of 30 and
33C can simulate the oral environment of a mouth breather.
Volchansky and Cleaton-Jones (1994) demonstrated
temperatures below 32C after 10 minutes of the mouth
being open. In a study by Moore et al. (1999) , the median
temperature in the incisor area was recorded as 33C for
some individuals. The temperatures most frequently utilised
in the testing of wires are 35 and 37C, as they represent the
normal temperature for nasal breathers ( Volchansky and
Cleaton-Jones, 1994 ; Airoldi et al. , 1997 : Moore et al. ,
1999 ). The temperature of 40C simulates a patient with
fever and is also noted as the A
f
of C40 wire.
Figure 4 Unloading curves of the tested archwires at the ve different temperatures. (See Table 2 for denitions of abbreviations.)
M. T. SAKIMA ET AL.
288
The yield point differed between the different wires and
varied according to temperature ( Table 3 ). The superelastic
behaviour of the WWFE wire was only present when the
distance between the brackets was greater than 2 mm. If the
activation was lower than 2 mm, the force level could reach
higher values than when it was activated to a level greater
than the yield point. According to Proft and Fields (1993) ,
some austenitic NiTi wires exhibit stiffness higher than that
of TMA

wires, if the deformation does not reach that of
the proportional limit. The clinician can best make use of
the superelastic properties if the wire has a low yield point.
In this study C40 and NS200 wires presented the lowest
yield points followed by C35 and Thermal NiTi (WWT).
When the force levels at the yield points were compared,
C40 wire showed the lowest force levels at all the different
temperatures.
The energy loss presented in Table 3 represents the
hysteresis of each wire, that can be explained as the
difference between the loading and unloading curves of one
test. The high values of C40 and NS200 suggest that the
metallic structure was not in only one phase, especially at
the lowest temperatures tested. According to Filleul et al.
(1997) , the C40 wire should start the transformation from
martensite to austenite at 24.5C and nish at 40C. The
same values for the C35 wire are 14.2 and 36.3C. From the
austenitic NiTi wires tested, the ON wire showed a 19 per
cent difference in energy loss between 30 and 40C, which
was considerably higher than the WWFE (3 per cent). It can
Table 3 The yield point and energy loss variables of the tested NiTi wires with the intra-wire (inter-temperature) rankings (A: lowest;
E: highest) and the inter-wire rankings (I: lowest; VII: highest). Variables with the same ranking are not signicantly different.
Wire* Temp (C) Displacement at yield point (mm) Force at yield point (cN) Energy loss (percentage)
Mean SD Ranking Mean SD Ranking Mean SD Ranking
Intra Inter Intra Inter Intra Inter
C35 30 0.8 0.0 A II 319 13 A II,III 51 1 E II
33 1.0 0.0 B II 383 4 B II 47 1 D II
35 1.2 0.0 C II 417 5 C II 45 1 C III
37 1.2 0.1 C II 414 18 C II 43 1 B III
40 1.4 0.0 D III 479 4 D II 41 1 A III
C40 30 0.6 0.1 A I 207 25 A I 79 2 E V
33 0.8 0.0 B I 285 5 B I 70 2 D VI
35 1.0 0.0 C I 334 6 C I 62 1 C VI
37 1.0 0.0 C I 352 6 D I 59 1 B VI
40 1.2 0.0 D II 394 5 E I 53 1 A VI
G&H 30 0.9 0.2 A II 439 37 A IV 65 2 D IV
33 1.3 0.1 B III 535 24 B IV 56 1 C V
35 1.4 0.1 B III 547 20 B IV 54 2 B V
37 1.5 0.1 B IV 572 21 B III 53 1 B V
40 1.5 0.1 B III 618 15 C III 51 1 A V
NS200 30 0.8 0.0 A II 298 3 A II 81 1 E VI
33 0.8 0.0 A I 307 8 A I 72 0 D VII
35 1.0 0.1 B I 344 15 B I 63 0 C VII
37 1.2 0.0 C II 404 21 C II 60 0 B VI
40 1.1 0.1 B I 383 30 C I 56 0 A VII
ON 30 0.8 0.0 A II 346 15 A III 58 1 C III
33 1.4 0.0 B III 581 30 B V 50 1 B III
35 1.6 0.0 C IV 703 8 C V 41 0 A II
37 1.7 0.1 D V 722 29 C IV 39 1 A II
40 1.8 0.1 D IV 767 36 D IV 39 2 A II
WWFE 30 2.1 0.1 B III 867 32 A V 33 0 C I
33 1.9 0.1 A IV 885 23 A,B VI 32 1 B I
35 2.0 0.0 A,B V 904 14 A,B VI 31 0 A I
37 2.1 0.1 B VI 923 37 B V 31 0 A I
40 2.1 0.1 B V 984 23 C V 30 1 A I
WWT 30 0.9 0.1 A II 359 37 A III 58 2 D III
33 1.0 0.1 A II 465 29 B III 54 1 C IV
35 1.1 0.1 A I 459 45 B III 51 1 B IV
37 1.4 0.0 B III 564 20 C III 50 1 B IV
40 1.4 0.1 B III 619 12 D III 47 1 A IV
*See Table 2 for denitions of abbreviations.
SD, standard deviation.
289
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCY OF NITI WIRES
be suggested that the TTR of the ON wire was closer
to mouth temperature than the WWFE and that this fact
explains the different behaviours between the two wires.
Bradley et al. (1996) demonstrated the A
s
for the ON wire
as 13C and the A
f
as 40C, while Filleul et al. (1997)
found 19.8C and 29C using differential scanning
calorimetry measurements. The energy loss seems to be
inversely proportional to the amount of force at the yield
point.
Observation of the graphic representation revealed that,
in all cases, the largest energy loss occurred at the very start
of unloading, whereafter a plateau representing the transition
occurred.
The forces delivered during unloading, representing the
forces acting on the teeth, are shown in Figure 4 . The graph
comparing the different wires tested at 30C shows the C40
and NS200 wires without unloading plateaus. This suggests
that both wires were not in an austenitic phase, meaning that
30C is probably below the A
f
for these wires. Extrapolating
this nding to a clinical situation, it can be suggested that
these two wires should not be used in mouth breathers,
where anterior tooth alignment is required. In this case the
lowest force level would be given by the Thermal NiTi
(G&H) wire. The same comments apply to the ndings at
33C ( Figure 4 ).
When studying the variation in intraoral temperature,
Moore et al. (1999) found that for the majority of the time
the upper central incisor and the rst premolar areas are in
the range of 35 36C and are above 37C for only 1 per
cent of the time. The fact that the C40 and NS200 wires did
Table 4 The unloading plateau variables of the tested NiTi wires with the intra-wire (inter-temperature) rankings (A: lowest; D: highest)
and the inter-wire rankings (I: lowest; VII: highest). Variables with the same ranking are non-signicantly different.
Wire* Temp(C) Force at start (cN) Plateau length (mm) Plateau slope (cN/mm)
At mm Mean SD Ranking Mean SD Ranking Mean SD Ranking
Intra Inter Intra Inter Intra Inter
C35 30 2.80 206 6 A III 2.0 0.1 C V 31.8 4.3 B I
33 2.92 254 18 B II,III 2.2 0.1 D III 33.3 4.3 B I
35 2.80 268 8 B II 2.0 0.0 C II 28.5 4.9 A,B I,II
37 2.80 285 4 C II,III 1.8 0.0 B III 21.3 3.4 A I
40 2.60 301 13 D II 1.6 0.0 A II 20.6 8.0 A I
C40 30 3.20 151 13 A I 1.3 0.1 A II 119.3 9.6 D V
33 3.20 182 8 B I 2.6 0.3 C IV 71.0 7.0 C III
35 3.04 168 20 A,B I 2.4 0.1 C III 36.7 7.1 B II
37 3.00 181 6 B I 2.4 0.0 C V 32.1 5.5 A,B I,II
40 2.88 207 20 C I 2.1 0.1 B IV 23.5 10.4 A I
G&H 30 2.60 180 16 A II 2.2 0.0 B VI 63.8 5.9 B III
33 2.56 242 16 B II 2.0 0.1 A II,III 54.4 6.1 A,B II
35 2.60 263 19 C II 2.0 0.1 A II 53.4 10.1 A,B III
37 2.72 269 11 C II 2.0 0.0 A IV 48.1 16.7 A,B II,III
40 2.80 318 11 D II 2.0 0.0 A IV 41.1 1.8 A II
NS200 30 3.00 151 2 A I 1.0 0.0 A I 157.9 6.3 C VI
33 3.00 185 7 B I 2.0 0.0 C II,III 92.7 3.7 B IV
35 2.52 149 11 A I 2.1 0.1 C II 53.2 4.2 A III
37 2.56 178 11 B I 2.0 0.2 C IV 54 8.0 A III
40 2.56 206 7 C I 1.8 0.1 B III 50.5 4.4 A II
ON 30 2.72 216 19 A III 1.9 0.1 B IV 50.4 5.6 B II
33 2.64 272 22 B III,IV 1.9 0.2 B II 30.8 14.0 A I
35 2.48 374 11 C IV 1.5 0.1 A I 17.9 9.9 A I
37 2.76 435 22 D IV 1.6 0.1 A II 30.7 14.0 A I,II
40 2.80 465 37 D IV 1.6 0.1 A II 53.2 5.2 B II
WWFE 30 3.20 635 3 A V 1.6 0.1 B III 97.5 4.1 A IV
33 3.04 655 21 A V 1.5 0.1 A,B I 91.0 6.4 A IV
35 3.04 665 28 A V 1.4 0.2 A I 92.3 11.0 A IV
37 3.04 659 31 A V 1.4 0.0 A,B I 86.0 14.2 A IV
40 3.00 699 21 B V 1.3 0.1 A I 89.0 16.7 A III
WWT 30 3.20 333 10 C IV 2.4 0.0 C VII 93.6 8.5 C IV
33 2.80 284 11 A IV 2.2 0.1 B III 59.3 11.4 B II
35 2.80 301 4 B III 2.1 0.1 A,B II 59.8 9.9 B III
37 2.80 302 14 B III 2.0 0.0 A IV 42.0 3.2 A II,III
40 2.84 352 11 D III 2.0 0.0 A IV 45.6 6.1 A II
*See Table 2 for denitions of abbreviations.
SD, standard deviation.
M. T. SAKIMA ET AL.
290
not deliver any or only low forces below 37C, indicates
that the forces were delivered intermittently and, in
addition, at the lowest level. Nevertheless, Dalstra and
Melsen (2004) revealed, in a comparison of Copper NiTi
27C and 40C, where patients were advised to drink hot
liquids or mouthwash with hot water, that the rate of tooth
movement was superior when the C40 wire was used. The
efciency of the low force level and the intermittent force
corroborates the ndings in orthopaedic research when
studying the effect of loading on bone turn-over ( Rubin et
al. , 1996 ) The efcacy of the low force was further
conrmed by Damon (1998) who repeatedly demonstrated
the rapid levelling which occurred when inserting a 35C
Copper NiTi. The rationale behind the application of low
forces is further supported by the paradigm regarding the
tissue reaction to low and heavy forces suggested by
Melsen (1999) . This was recently reinforced by Cattaneo
(2003) in a nite element analysis carried out on human
material.
The C40 wire ( Figure 4 and Table 4 ) had a atter plateau
(lower slope) than the NS200 wire, although both presented
very similar characteristics when tested at 35C. The force
levels were half that of the second group composed of G&H,
WWT and C35 wires.
The tests performed at 37C and 40C showed similar
results as those at 35C.
When the wires were compared at 35C and 37C, the
C40 wire presented the longest plateau length with a very
small slope. The C35 wire showed the attest plateau
(constant force) of all the wires, but the force level was
higher than that for C40, NS200, G&H and WWT.
All wires showed characteristic graphs in all tested
temperatures ( Figure 3 ). They may have come from the
same factories, but the different graphs show that they do
not have the same behaviour. WWFE wire demonstrated
the smallest property differences within the 10-degree
temperature range used in this investigation. On the other
hand, ON wire showed the largest differences. Despite the
fact that these two wires were the austenitic NiTi wires
tested in the present study, they showed both extremes of
behaviour. The common observation for these two wires is
that they showed the highest force delivery.
Conclusions
Based on the present ndings of 0.019 0.025 inch NiTi
wires it seems valid to conclude that:
1. All wires demonstrated different behaviours and were
differently inuenced by the variation in temperature,
showing that the force delivery variation is the norm for
the studied NiTi wires.
2. Copper NiTi 40C showed the lowest and the most
constant force level followed by NeoSentalloy 200 g. On
the other hand, these wires would not work correctly in
mouth breathers as no forces were exerted below 35C.
3. If superelastic characteristics and low force levels are the
reasons for utilizing rectangular NiTi wires, the use of
austenitic NiTi wires, such as the normal NiTi and the
Formo-Elastic, should be avoided.
Address for correspondence
Professor Birte Melsen
Department of Orthodontics
School of Dentistry
University of Aarhus
Vennelyst Boulevard 9
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
E-mail: orthodpt@odont.au.dk
Acknowledgement
The authors wish to thank Scanorto A/S, Charlottenlund,
Denmark for kindly providing the archwires tested in this
study.
References
Airoldi G, Riva G, Vanelli M, Filippi V, Garattini G 1997 Oral environment
temperature changes induced by cold/hot liquid intake. American
Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 112 : 58 63
Barwart O 1996 The effect of temperature change on the load value of
Japanese NiTi coil springs in the superelastic range. American Journal
of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 110 : 553 558
Bradley T G, Brantley W A, Culbertson B M 1996 Differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC) analyses of superelastic and nonsuperelastic nickel-
titanium orthodontic wires. American Journal of Orthodontics and
Dentofacial Orthopedics 109 : 589 597
Burstone C J, Qin B, Morton J Y 1985 Chinese NiTi wire a new
orthodontic alloy. American Journal of Orthodontics 87 : 445 452
Cattaneo P M 2003 Orthodontic aspects of bone mechanics and bone
remodelling. Thesis, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Dalstra M, Melsen B 2004 Does the transition temperature of Cu-NiTi
archwires affect the amount of tooth movement during alignment?
Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research 7 : 21 25
Damon D H 1998 The Damon low-friction bracket: a biologically compatible
straight wire system. Journal of Clinical Orthodontics 32 : 670 680
Filleul M-P, Portier R, Jordan L 1997 Effect of temperature on torsional
properties of Ni-Ti and Copper Ni-Ti orthodontic wires. Journal de
Physique IV France 7 : 661 665
Fischer-Brandies H, Es-Souni M, Kock N, Raetzke K, Bock O 2003
Transformation behavior, chemical composition, surface topography
and bending properties of ve selected 0.16 0.022 NiTi archwires.
Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics 64 : 88 99
Gurgel J A, Kerr S, Powers J M, LeCrone V 2001 Force-deection
properties of superelastic nickel-titanium archwires. American Journal
of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 120 : 378 382
Ibe D M, Segner D 1998 Superelastic materials displaying different force
levels within one archwire. Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics 59 : 29 38
Iijima M, Ohno H, Kawashima I, Endo K, Mizoguchi I 2002 Mechanical
behavior at different temperatures and stresses for superelastic nickel-
titanium orthodontic wires having different transformation temperatures.
Dental Materials 18 : 88 93
Khier S E, Brantley W A, Fournelle R A 1991 Bending properties of
superelastic and nonsuperelastic nickel-titanium orthodontic wires.
American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
99 : 310 318
291
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCY OF NITI WIRES
Meling T R, degaard J 1998 The effect of temperature on the elastic
responses to longitudinal torsion of rectangular nickel titanium
archwires. Angle Orthodontist 68 : 357 368
Melsen B 1999 Biological reaction of alveolar bone to orthodontic tooth
movement. Angle Orthodontist 69 : 151 158
Menghi C, Planert J, Melsen B 1999 3-D experimental identication of
force systems from orthodontic loops activated for rst order corrections.
Angle Orthodontist 69 : 49 57
Miura F, Mogi M, Ohura Y, Hamanaka H 1986 The super-elastic property
of the Japanese NiTi alloy wire for use in orthodontics. American Journal
of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 90 : 1 10
Moore R J, Watts J T F, Hood J A A, Burritt D J 1999 Intra-oral temperature
variation over 24 hours. European Journal of Orthodontics 21 : 249 261
Nakano H et al. 1999 Mechanical properties of several nickel-titanium
alloy wires in three-point bending tests. American Journal of Orthodontics
and Dentofacial Orthopedics 115 : 390 395
Oltjen J M, Duncanson M G, Ghosh J, Nanda R S, Currier G F 1997
Stiffness-deection behavior of selected orthodontic wires. Angle
Orthodontist 67 : 209 218
Parvizi F, Rock W P 2003 The load/deection characteristics of thermally
activated orthodontic archwires. European Journal of Orthodontics
25 : 417 421
Proft W R, Fields Jr H W 1993 Contemporary orthodontics. Mosby-Year
Book, Inc., Saint Louis
Rubin C, Gross T, Qin Y X, Fritton S, Guilak F, McLeod K 1996
Differentiation of the bone-tissue remodeling response to axial and
torsional loading in the turkey ulna. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
78A : 1523 1533
Santoro M, Beshers D N 2000 Nickel-titanium alloys: stress-related
temperature transitional range. American Journal of Orthodontics and
Dentofacial Orthopedics 118 : 685 692
Tonner R I M, Waters N E 1994 The characteristics of super-elastic Ni-Ti
wires in 3-point bending. 1. The effect of temperature. European Journal
of Orthodontics 16 : 409 419
Volchansky A, Cleaton-Jones P 1994 Variations in oral temperature.
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 21 : 605 611
Wilkinson P D, Dysart P S, Hood J A A, Herbison G P 2002 Load-deection
characteristics of superelastic nickel-titanium orthodontic wires.
American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
121 : 483 495
Yoneyama T, Doi H, Hamanaka H, Yamamoto M, Kuroda T 1993 Bending
properties and transformation temperatures of heat-treated Ni-Ti alloy
wire for orthodontic appliances. Journal of Biomedical Materials
Research 27 : 399 402